New Delhi: After the hammering rainfall and landslides in Uttarakhand, threats of epidemic have surfaced in some parts of the state. Panic buttons were pressed after a few instances of water-borne diseases like diarrhea, cholera and dysentery were reported by hundreds of villagers in the state.

It has been learnt that several people are suffering from high fever and gastro-intestinal infections. A few security personnel, involved in the relief and rescue operations, have also fallen sick.

Lack of clean and safe drinking water is also turning out to be one of the major problems for the stranded tourists and local residents.

A doctor, however, said that it would be pre-mature to tag this series of illness as epidemic, based on the symptoms, as no medical or scientific studies have been carried out yet.

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and armed forces, who are slogging day in and day out to deal with the situation have also set up medical camps to conduct health-checkups and provide medical assistance to needy people.

The Centre is also sending a medical team, which includes doctors and other health specialists in order to monitor the overall situation in the state.

As of now, cases of diarrhea have been reported from Alwapur in Haridwar, Udvi in Uttarkashi and Chandrapuri in Rudraprayag. The situation over there is being monitored by the local medical teams.